Time-recorder.



H M. LAWTON.

TIME RECORDER.-

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2I, 1916.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

UNITE STATES PATENT onrion. I

HUGH M. LAWTON, OF BELLEVUE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CINCINNATI TIME RECORDER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

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Specification of Letters Patent. I

Application filed February 21, 1916. Serial No. 79,479.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HUGH M. LAw'roN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bellevue, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Recorders, of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to time recorders of the type wherein a card is to be inserted into a time cont-rolled printing" mechanism in order to have the time ofv insertion printed on the card. onerecognized class of such machines at the present time has means for shifting a card holder by 'graduatedsteps past the printing mechanism so as to make a time record at various points on the card.

The difficulty with these machines is that for registrations following each other after short lapses of time on a single card, unless the shifting mechanism has moved in such lapse oftime, the two registrations will come one on top of the other. Accordingly it has been the practice to provide another shift of the card receiver at right angles to the first shift, for registration 1n and out, so that I a workman may go out fora few minutes and return without making istr ation.

'The less shifts necessary in machines of this character, the better, because the type of an illegible regworkman who uses them will accomplish a confusion, if such is possible. But if this lateral shift is omitted, it has'in the past been necessary to provide for a manual movement of the card receiver, so as to avoid registration one on top of the other. This again is undesirable, because it. destroys the uniformity of the cards and renders the calculation from them difficult.

It would seem that to provide a card holder that shifted continually would solve the difficulty above expressed, but if this were adopted there would be such a considerable travel of the card receiver that a card of large dimensions would have to be provided, although there would then be no necessity of a shift for in and out registrations, because the reader of the card would always know that the first registration on a card was in, the second out and so on.

It is accordingly the object of my invention to provide a time recorder in which controlled vertical shaft 2.

operative connection with a shaft 11 by the gear train 3, 4:, 5, 6, 7, 8. 9 and 10. Fixedly 100 means are provided for regulating the position of the time card with relation to the printing mechanism, such means being so operated that there will be a continual movement of the position regulator at hours where such might be necessary, and no movement during hours when there would be no registrations-in the usual course. I In the type of machines hitherto used with which I am familiar, the position regulator has been of a type-which moved the card holder bodily. To do this, it was necessary to have heavy mechanism, such as weights, which were raised and trippedand which then moved along the entire card holder one step, and then remained stationary until the next step. It is an object of my invention tofprovide a mere abutment-against, which the card isto be brought before registration is-made, and to move this abutment'by a cam mechanism directly operated-by the clock movement of themachine, thereby eliminating expensive structure and the chance of imperfect operation of the machine.

The objects as stated above I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically'pointedout and claimed. I

In the drawing, V L

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the'machine, with the main portion of the mechanism removed so as to show the new invention clearly. e

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the abutment and the cam. V 1

Fig. '3 isa. perspective view of the abutment. 1 i

Figs. 4; and 5 are side elevations of forms of thecam which may be used with themachine, as-desire 1 is the framework of the machine on the top of which is rotatably mounteda clock This shaft has mounted on this shaft is a cam 12, which as will be described actuates the card abutment.

Revolubly mounted in the rear frame of the machine is a shaft 13 which carries at each end the two yoke forming members 105 which the yoke must support. The yoke 119 plate are the card guides 20, having slots 21' throughout their length in which the cards are guided and held. In these slots also is slidably mounted a plate 22, which has two cars 23, 23, extending out from its upper edge.

This plate has also a pin protruding from its lower end. This pin rests on the cross member 25 which connects the ends of the yoke forming members 1%, 1 1, and thereby the sliding plate is supported by the yoke and the yoke in turn supported on the cam. The equalizing spring, however, relieves the cam from the weight of these mechanisms.

As the cam is revolved by the time clock, the cam gradually raises the sliding plate. When a card is inserted in the receiver, it is to bepusheddown until its lower edge rests on the ears 23, 23, on the sliding plate. The platen 26 is then caused to operate and a registration is made on the card at a point determined by the position of the cam. The shape of the cam used is to be determined by the nature of the work which it is desired" that the machine accommodates. This shaping of the cam is done on the principle that the sliding plate is to be given a progressive and continual movement during periods of time when there are likely to be registrations that come in quick succession. During the remainder of the time, the cam is to be made with its periphery on a fixed radius, thereby allowing the sliding plate toremain stationary.

In Figs. 4 and 5 are shown two kinds of cam, for different sorts of work. The cam in Fig. 4 has its edges A on a fixed radius and its edges B on parabolic curves. The same, letters indicate like edges on the cam in Fig. 5. at times when employees are likely to be going-out and returningat short intervals, then the yoke will be continuously rising, more rapidly when necessary, slower when These cams are designed so that a quick change is not required and not at all when the employees are expected to be at work. The end of the day is reached at the point C on each cam and fromthere the yoke falls back to the place of beginning as is obvious. The cams arranged as shown are revolved counter-clockwise, although this is merely the result of the number of gears in the transmission train.

It is clear that a cam can easily be designed for any required set of conditions, and that the whole abutment shifting device is simply constructed, direct driven from the clock and so balanced by the spring 16 that there is very littlework required of the clock.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a time recorder, a card guide, an abutment in said guide to regulate the position of the card in said guide, and means directly coupled to the clock of said recorder and under continuous movement therefrom to control the position of said abutment.

2. In a time recorder, a card guide, an abutment in said guide to regulate the position of the card in said guide,and clockcontrolled means continuously operated for giving an intermittent continuous movement to the said abutment, for the purpose described. g

3. In a time recorder, av card guide, an abutment in said guide to regulate the position of the card in said guide, and a cam connected directly. to and under continuous movement with the clock of said recorder, said cam having a curved edge partially circular and partially parabolic to impart intermittent continuous movement to said abutment, for the purpose described.

4. In a time recorder, a card receiving element, an element to contact with the card upon being inserted in the receiving element, and a cam with direct connection therefor to the recorder clock, said cam being shaped to impartintermittent continuous movement to the contact element, for the purpose described.

HUGH M. LAWTON.

c0910! 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

